The main stories in NZ politics today are about local government elections, Maori politics, Labour Party, offshore oil exploration, and retirement. [Read more below]
Today’s links
Local government elections
Mark Blackham (Political Business): Voters, it’s your fault again
Debbie Porteous (ODT): 'Dire' voter turnout spurs inquiry suggestion
Chris Trotter (Stuff):Putting voting online would be risky
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Major reform of local elections needed
Christine Cheyne (Stuff): Voter apathy solutions needed
Duncan Garner (RadioLive): Big lesson in lost opportunity
Michael Edmonds (Sciblogs): Should voting be made compulsory … or just easier?
Dean Knight (Laws179): Local elections: Trifecta STV and modifying DHB representation
Mike Yardley (Stuff): Christchurch's own Arab Spring
Herald: Editorial: Mayor must heed voters and control spending
The Political Scientist: Great minds? Or just something in the Veuve Clicquot?
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Leaving Politics At The Door: Len Brown Wins a Second Term
Katie Chapman (Stuff): E-voting may help lift wilting response
Dominion Post: Editorial: Voting needs online stimulus
Wayne Thompson (Herald): Dose of youthful injection to Auckland's local boards
Taranaki Daily News: Editorial: New Plymouth goes grey and frugal
Brian Rudman (Herald): Palino's vote wake-up call for Brown
Grant Miller (Stuff): Mayor now has to harness talent
Mathew Grocott (Manawatu Standard): Editorial: Online look for elections
Nelson Mail: Measured approach wins day for Reese
Alexia Russell (Newstalk ZB): New rules for new mayors
No Right Turn: Local bodies
The Progress Report: Where to now for Labour in local government?
Pete George (Your NZ): Addressing voter turnout
Maori politics
Dan Satherley (TV3): Kohanga Reo board 'not happy' with spending
Morgan Godfery (Maui St): How not to manage a crisis: why the Kohanga Board must resign
Peter Cresswell (Not PC): ‘Native Affairs’ scoop
Adrien Taylor (TV3): Kohanga Reo National Trust spending investigated
Amelia Wade (Herald): Kohanga spending alarm
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Push back from Iwi on Curran, calls for her resignation
Labour Party
Claire Trevett (Herald): Mallard attends first meeting since demotion
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Cunliffe starts with a bang at CTU address
John Armstrong (Herald): Cunliffe delivering the 'wow' factor
Peter Wilson (Newswire): Cunliffe searches for his missing voters
Liam Dann (Herald): Cunliffe's Labour smart to play dumb
Greg Presland (The Standard): What should Labour do with Red Alert
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Did any of these munters demand Labour release details of any FTA’s they signed?
Offshore oil exploration and Simon Bridges
TV3: Simon Bridges defends Kaikoura drilling exploration
Jason Krupp (Stuff): More debate needed on oil & gas
The Standard: Angry Simon implodes on Campbell Live
Danyl McLauchlan (Dim-Post): Compare and contrast
Alan Papprill (IC): Petulence and Arrogance no replacement for Responsible and Coherent Response
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): John Campbell burns Simon Bridges
Superannuation
Steven Cowan (Against the current): Work until you’re dead
Nelson Mail: Editorial – There comes a time - eventually
Stuff: Superannuation scheme 'elegant' – PM
Fiona Rotherham (Stuff): Labour mounts attack over KiwiSaver
Stuff: 'Change in KiwiSaver needed'
Dene MacKenzie (ODT): Call for cross-party agreement
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Call for KiwiSaver shake up
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Superannuation battle continues among MPs
Jane Luscombe (TV3): Tax system punishes KiwiSaver users – FSC
Electoral fraud
Lincoln Tan (Herald): Labour man fights election fraud charges
Michael Field (Stuff): Sikh leader denies election fraud
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Electoral fraud trial starts
No Right Turn: Justice for electoral fraud?
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Finally! Labour candidate finally makes court for electoral fraud
Sky City
Isaac Davison (Herald): Casino deal shown in cardboard
TVNZ: Greens set-up cardboard casino
Simon Day (Stuff): Greens build cardboard casino protest
TV3: Greens protest with cardboard casino
The Standard: Granny Herald tries to de-legitimise political opposition, again
Independent case review body
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): PM rules out criminal case review body
TVNZ: David Bain's lawyer issues challenge to John Key
Asset sales
Jamie Whyte (Herald): Economic ignorance skews asset victory
Tim Hunter (Stuff): Meridian price seen at low end
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Are we paying for the billboards?
Defense court martial
Stuff: Court martial begins for Defence Force boss
TVNZ: Woman tells commodore's Court Martial of affair
Euthanasia
Michelle Duff (Stuff): Coroner urges MPs to decide on euthanasia
Georgina Ball (TVNZ): 'Vexed' issue of euthanasia needs review – Coroner
Lydia Anderson (Herald): Coroner to MPs: Debate euthanasia
Radio NZ: Coroner says Parliament must address voluntary euthanasia
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Killing yourself home alone
TICs bill
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Another 'heavy-handed' spy bill
Newswire: Changes signalled to telco spy bill
Adam Bennett (Herald): Govt rejects Big Four's bid to avoid NZ spy law
TVNZ: Government makes late tweaks to telco intercept bill
Clare Curran (Red Alert): The chilling effect of TICs
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Dump spy law, IT giants urge MPs
Economy
Michael Fox (Stuff): Kiwis fleeing as regions stagnate, says Labour
Stuff: Government property squeeze impact 'limited'
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): US woes could damage New Zealand
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Journal and some jobs set to get lifeline
Newswire: Census 'will show exodus from regions'
Martin Jacques (Herald): NZ has a headstart in growing strategically with China
Linda Sanders (Listener): Growing gains
Housing
Radio NZ: 'Too early' to gauge effect of new mortgage rules
Peter Wilson (Newswire): First home buyers dropping out
Brook Sabin (TV3): Labour: First-home buyers 'hammered' by loan changes
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Danger Will Robinson, danger
Radio NZ: 'Too early' to gauge effect of new mortgage rules
Other
Matthew Hooton (NBR): Greens’ plan to outfox wily Peters
Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): Questions
Bob Jones (Herald): Racial jibes - times have changed
Nevil Gibson (NBR): Don't trust those who don't trust markets
Stuff: Today in politics: Tuesday, October 15
Andrea Fox (Stuff): Russia offered MiGs, tanks to settle NZ debt
Waikato Times: Editorial: Police should heed poll
Isaac Davison (Herald): Overhaul in wind for war pensions scheme
Nicholas Jones (Herald): Doubts on school system exposed
TVNZ: Govt in denial over prescription costs - Labour
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Weight of the nation
Robb Kidd (Stuff): Flights delay Banks court case
Ben Uffindell (The Civilian): Stewart Island to be renamed Harry Styles as a result of online poll
Beith Atkinson (Integrity Talking Points): Using public funds for personal interests
Russell Brown (Hard News): Sick with Anger
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Much better than trying to ban things
Rachel Stewart (Stuff): Our country's being run by the Keystone Cops
Beith Atkinson (Integrity talking points): Australian approach to post election Ministerial briefing
Audrey Young (Herald): Jet-setting week with the leaders
Brian Easton (Listener): Book Review: Inequality: A New Zealand Crisis, edited by Max Rashbrooke
Guyon Espiner (Listener): The God solution